A blog for the United States branch of the global Centre for Fortean Zoology

At the beginning of the 21st Century monsters still roam the remote, and sometimes not so remote, corners of our planet. It is our job to search for them. The Centre for Fortean Zoology [CFZ] is - we believe - the largest professional, scientific and full-time organisation in the world dedicated to cryptozoology - the study of unknown animals. Since 1992 the CFZ has carried out an unparalleled programme of research and investigation all over the world. Since 2009 we have been running the increasingly popular CFZ Blog Network, and although there has been an American branch of the CFZ for over ten years now, it is only now that it has a dedicated blog.

Take care if you venture near the Klamath River in California. Native American tradition holds that in it lurks the Kamoss, a huge snake. The beast was known to the Native Americans and can find its way into sewers. My source, David Paulides' book The Hoopa Project, is unclear whether there is supposed to be just one of these or a population. Whichever, swim carefully in this body of water or, safer still, not at all.

1970: According to author John Green in Sasquatch: The
Apes Among Us, a young woman in Wilsonville, Oregon, is trying to climb
through a fence when a Bigfoot appears, grabs her, and throws her back over the
fence. She emerges without injury and no evidence of the attack remains.

1977: While on a picnic with her family, near Clear Lake,
Washington, 11-year-old Vernita Frazier reportedly sees Bigfoot standing within
10 feet of her. When she screams, the creature allegedly snarls and runs into
the woods. Relatives responding to her cry see nothing.

Cryptozoologist Linda Godfrey, celebrated for her various books, has a forthcoming title. Amazon are taking advanced orders. Called Monsters Among Us, it will be published by Perigee on September 29th.

They occur in the writings of George McDonald, C.S. Lewis, Michael Moorcock and in such television series as Once Upon a Time and Stranger Things. What do scientists feel about their possible existence?now read on...

1973: According to British authors Janet and Colin Bord, an unnamed
witness sees a Bigfoot with a "human-like face" near
"Lurer," Pennsylvania. No such town or other geographical
featureis listed by the U.S.
Geological Survey's Geographic Names Information System online, indicating that
"Lurer" does not exist. As a source for their report, the Bords site
an article in Pursuit magazine, penned by alleged author "Alien V.
Noe." Barring further documentation, call this one a probable hoax.